Political discourse in America is non-existent. No side is talking to the other; they’re all chattering to their ‘base.’ People are not talking with; they’re talking at. And the call by some social activists to have a “conversation” on their cause de jour is laughable. When we hear some TV activist pundit proclaim “We need a conversation on racism in this country,” what they’re really asking for is a forum to blast what they perceive as racist police (all police), racist Republicans (all Republicans), racist white people (all white people), racist black people (only black Republicans), and racist dogs (golden retrievers - mainly due to fur color). No one on either side of the political spectrum is willing to set down their respective dogmas long enough to exchange in any semblance of dialogue. There’s no willingness to discuss anything, only the insatiable need to pontificate on some social agenda they fanatically cling to. The noise is becoming deafening; the rage enveloping. And this sad and frightening state of affairs is not limit to the United States … it’s world-wide. During the 2016 election, half the American population, feeling left out and ignored for many years by the Obama and Bush administrations, vented their rage and frustration by electing a man they were convinced shared their anger. They convinced themselves that Donald Trump empathized with them. It didn’t matter that he was a raging narcissist totally incapable any semblance of empathy; he spoke the right words, insulted the right people, and behaved the part of the nasty petulant child. He was one of them … or so they believed or wanted to believe. Narcissists are pathologically focused only themselves and totally imprisoned by their egos need for self-gratification. Donald Trump said the right things, stirred the right emotions, and all believed (mistakenly) they were being listened to. This was good enough for half the country’s population. The other half is now embroiled in the same lunacy. The rage directed at Trump, or whomever else should dare criticize them, is so over-the-top and absurd it cannot help but remind any sane person of the rantings of …, once again … nasty petulant children. Who would have imagined a time when genders are so confused that they’re not considered genders anymore? Who would have thought that colleges and universities, once bastions of free thought and speech, would become havens of intolerance and ‘safe spaces’? Who would have thought that a time would come when people you disagree with are gleefully denied access to a restaurant and are harassed in the process? Last year I refereed a freshman boys soccer game at a local high school. After the game a player from the home team sheepishly approached me and, nearly in tears, said, “Ref, I and my teammate’s feelings were hurt when you made that throw-in call against us.” He then walked away with a slight stagger of self-righteousness. I could say nothing. I was in shock. Their “feeling were hurt!” Are you kidding me? ‘Throw-in’ calls are the least impactful calls in a soccer game. No voice was raised to offend their delicate sensibilities since such calls are made only with a whistle and an arm gesture. And the game was not won or lost by the call. What upset these little butter cups was that the call was not what they wanted it to be. I dread the day when players, upset with a referee’s call, will need to go to a prearranged ‘safe space’ so that can stroke their comfort puppy. And, of course, the referee will not be served at the local restaurant or be allowed in restrooms appropriate to their gender … assuming there are genders. What madness! As metaphysicians and healers, I do not recommend getting caught up in the maelstrom of such extremes. Don’t give up your sanity for any dogma or agenda. Seek the bigger picture, always. When people find themselves in the midst of overwhelming and incomprehensible change, the natural reaction is to go into fear. This fear eventually gets replaced by anger. When anger is unaddressed it become rage. The world is undergoing monumental change right now. All the old institutions are collapsing and all our old and familiar beliefs and crumbling. This is a necessary condition for a new world to emerge. And a new world is emerging - that’s a given. All life, at an unconscious level, are experiencing this change; but people, without processing through this change emotionally are projecting their fear and rage outwardly. This is the source of the insanity. As healers and metaphysicians, we need to step out of this set and attend to the source of the insanity within. That is our area of expertise. The following are a couple of suggestions on how to work to begin aligning ourselves and the world to this new emerging reality.

TECHNIQUES

(1) When was the last time you checked in with yourself (s)? Since your less developed selves reside in the unconscious, they are experiencing the monumental change before you and are experiencing it more deeply. Their ability to process this change is, by their less matured nature, limited. Because they do not possess the awareness, tools and mature insight to comprehend this change or to work with it, they become terrified and eventually enraged. We possess the awareness, have the tools, and are the spiritual adults, not them. Our outer world is, in truth, merely reflecting our less developed ‘selves’ turmoil. People in our world are playing out their reality with fear and rage because they are not talking responsibly for such feelings in themselves … it’s not them, it’s Trump … It’s not them it’s the wacky leftists. We, on the other hand, must respond not from the whirlwind of the chaos outside us, but at the level of our own whirlwind of feelings within us. It’s all a matter of where we give our attention. We are the spiritual adults in the room, and spiritual adults respond.

Step back - check in - respond

(a) Stop focusing on where the problem is not - outside you (step back).

(b) Go into a meditation and sit with the parts of yourself that are in terror and rage and listen and feel their fear and anger (check in).

(c) Send love to them. Reassure them they are not alone; that you are with them always and will not abandon them. Hold them if they need holding. Love them when they need loving (respond).

As you do this, you will become more and more aware of this monumental new world emerging and will be able to get glimpses of the larger picture in the midst of the current insanity. As you do this you change the resonance of the chaos; not only in yourself, but your world. “Go dancing and singing, not kicking and screaming.”

(2) Without agendas or the need for pacific outcomes, go into a meditation. In your safe place, with your Higher Self to help, send a cocoon of light to envelop the Higher Selves of the politicians in Washington, or the Higher Selves of the millions voting in specific elections, or cocoon the personified Spirit of America (yes, nations have overseeing Spirits). Flow your love and light to this cocoon, not to initiate a specific agenda of yours, but to provide resonance support and healing love. The Higher Selves, and America’s Spirit know the big picture, not you. Be humble enough to send the love and humble enough to allow the outcome that best awakens a future that is far beyond what you can currently imagine. You don’t know what’s right, here. They do. Simply do your work: love, dream, heal, work magic. Be the healer and map-maker and send support. Be involved at a more fundamental level.

Remember, if things become too overwhelming, go to the ‘safe space’ of your ‘safe place’ and respond; there work your magic … comfort puppy is optional.